Natural Progression
by manycolouredeyes
Summary: Nothing just ever, happened. Everything progresses and the bond between two people is no exception to that rule.
1. Brush

_**A/N:** This stupid couple has overtaken my senses!_

_**Disclaimer:** Mamare-sensei owns it all._

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><p><strong>Natural Progression [1] <strong>

_- Brush_

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><p>It all started with the slightest touch of her fingers with his. It was unintentional but he felt electricity coursing through his body. She, on the other hand, recoiled and her cheeks colored with embarrassment. They both muttered an apology before it registered to them the absurdity of apologizing when it was unintentional.<p>

He chuckled, effectively diffusing the awkward silence between them and she gave him a small smile, her cheeks still held the traces of embarrassment.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Don't worry my lovelies. There are more! This was meant to be a one-shot but I ended up writing in parts so I thought it would be better to separate them into chapters._


	2. Secure

_**A/N:** Thank you all for reading and making it your favourite! It really means a lot to me that there are people out there who loves my writing! A big hug to you all!_

_**Disclaimer:** Mamare-sensei owns it all._

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><p><strong>Natural Progression [2] <strong>

_- Secure_

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><p>The next incident was on the rooftop of their guild house. Since the young ones were out, she took it upon herself to dry the laundry. It was a taxing job for her height but she had managed until a gust of wind blew hard towards the east. She lost her footing and tripped over the laundry basket. Thinking that it was too late to use her Tracker skills, she expected the pain of falling flat on the concrete ground when a pair of arms caught her.<p>

"Are you alright?"

She looked straight into his eyes as he helped her stand upright again, barely noticing that he had not let go of his grip on her.

"I need to secure the laundry."

She said aloud the first thing that crossed her mind.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Reviews are love! _


	3. Thunder

_**A/N:** This one is written purely out of the need for fluff. I apologize beforehand if it is boring or does not make sense._

_**Disclaimer:** Mamare-sensei owns it all._

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><p><strong>Natural Progression [3] <strong>

_- Thunder_

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><p>It was common to have rain in Akiba but a thunderstorm was rare. So when they were both out in the forest beyond Akiba, the storm caught them by surprise.<p>

They managed to find refuge under some rocks and was aware of how close they both were. A flash of lightning appeared in the sky and thunder erupted, making her jump and clutched his cloak.

Surprised by her actions, he looked at her questioningly. She looked away but huddled closer, her grip on his cloak tightened every time thunder shook the skies. He then realised that she was afraid of thunder so he pried her fingers away from his cloak and interlaced his fingers with hers.

Surprised, she looked up and saw him smiling down at her gently. For the next hour until the storm let up, he held her hand.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Reviews are love! _


	4. Fever

_**A/N:** Hi all! Thank you so much for reading this and also for the reviews! I've actually written this a few days ago but decided to post it slowly. I had to rewrite this one and honestly, I have no idea what to do for the next few chapters. If you have any prompts, feel free to tell me! :D_

_**Disclaimer:** Mamare-sensei owns it all._

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><p><strong>Natural Progression [4] <strong>

_- Fever_

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><p>"You have a fever."<p>

"No I don't."

He swatted her hand away and faced the book he was reading on before the interruption. She glared at him but he paid no heed.

The world they were currently in might be similar to the real world where the need to sleep, eat and past motion were present. But being ill was almost unheard of unless one had a spell casted on them. Even that was curable if one had the right potion or skill in hand.

"You have not eaten much for the past week either."

In that, she was right but he did not want to affirm it as he flipped to the next page of the book. There was just so many things to do and he would often be so absorbed in his research that he could go by a whole day without eating. If it wasn't for his guild members, he would probably went by without eating for days. Until Akatsuki barged into his room, having enough of his unhealthy lifestyle.

He could feel her glare intensified but she walked away, much to relief. He was never fond of getting nagged on. Especially not by a younger girl. The sound of rustling caught his ears and when he looked up, he was mortified to see Akatsuki rummaging through his bag.

"What are you doing?"

He cried out and just then the girl pulled out a small round-bottomed bottle with a pink liquid in it with a triumphant look. He recognised that potion. It was a sleeping potion.

"Drink it."

She held it out to him, her eyes stern but his pride refused to let him give in.

"I am fine, Akatsuki. I don't need to drink it," he tried to reason with her but she inched closer to him.

"Drink. It."

He had seen the look on her face before. But normally it was directed at either an enemy or Naotsugu. Never before had she looked at him with a menacing and threatening look. Shiroe closed the book he was reading and pushed his glasses up his face.

Two can play this game.

"Or what? You're going to force it down my throat?"

Akatsuki was taken aback but regained her composure quickly. She was silent for awhile, calculating her next move and Shiroe was almost certain she would back down but oh how wrong he was!

"If you want it that way," her voice was low. She uncorked the bottle with her teeth and spit the cork out. She emptied the pink liquid into her mouth, her cheeks puffed making her look like a hamster. He saw a shadow of uncertainty in her eyes but it was gone in a blink of an eye. Before he knew it, she grabbed the collar of his tunic and pressed her lips to his.

'Kiss?'

His thought became frazzled until he felt the cool liquid passing through her mouth into his and he had no choice but to swallow it. Once the potion had been drained from her mouth, Akatsuki released him and wiped her mouth with the back of her palm, her cheeks were red but her eyes shone with triumph.

Swallowing the last bit of the potion - while trying very hard to not remember that Akatsuki's saliva was mixed with it - Shiroe looked at her with a bewildered expression, his face colored by her bold move.

The potion worked instantly. Shiroe immediately felt his eyelids were heavy and he felt a strong surge of sleepiness washed over him. Holding unto the chair, he tried to glare at Akatsuki for using an underhanded trick but he passed out soon enough.

The last thought that went through his mind was that he would exact his revenge on the Assassin.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Reviews are love! So are prompts but I can't promise I can do it. Eheh._


	5. Shoulder

_**A/N:** Truth be told, the more I read the novel, the more I feel like I am not writing Shiroe and Akatsuki correctly and that drags me down from writing about them. But let's not brood over insecurities and my pet peeve of always wanting to write things as canon as possible (because that is an irony considering that I write fanfics) and enjoy the new chapter!_

_**Disclaimer:** Mamare-sensei owns it all._

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><p><strong>Natural Progression [5] <strong>

_- Shoulder_

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><p>Things were definitely changing in this world. Shiroe lied on his bed, his mind pondering on all the newly acquired information he had. Everything seemed to be moving on a faster pace than he had imagined and it frustrated him for not being to forecast ahead like he used to be able to. It felt like someone had just pulled the rug from under his feet and now he had to find a way to balanced himself and try to make some sense in everything.<p>

'But none of this made sense in the beginning.'

It was past midnight and with the rate his mind was going, Shiroe predicted that he probably would not be able to sleep again tonight.

'At least I can still predict that,' he thought dryly and sat up on his bed. His throat felt dry so he decided to take a short trip down the kitchen and maybe grab something to eat, a precaution in case he would end up doing more research again.

The guild house was quiet, expected at such late hour, as Shiroe made his way quietly down to the ground floor where the kitchen was situated. The moon was full and it casted its silvery light through the thin curtains of the building.

Shiroe basked in the quietness of the night when he noticed a small orange glow heading towards the kitchen as well. The glow came from a small lantern, held by the petite Assassin who had an exhausted look on her face.

Unconsciously, Shiroe smiled and followed her in.

"Can't sleep?"

He said and it took a while before Akatsuki turned and acknowledged him. It took her another second for the question to sink in and she nodded.

"I just felt thirsty," she placed the lantern on the wooden table and grabbed a cup. "Is my lord having trouble sleeping?"

Shiroe sat down on one of the stools around the table and scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Kinda," he admitted and thanked her when she handed him a glass of water. Silently, she sat next to him and took little sips from her cup.

Dressed in a simple white nightgown and her hair untied, Shiroe realised that this was the first time he had ever seen her in that getup. Probably because she was always the last to sleep and the first to rise. Noticing her tired look and her effort to stay awake, Shiroe told her that she could just go back to bed but she shook her head. A small pout appeared as she took a sip from her cup.

He, too, took a sip of water and his mind began to ponder back to the things that had made him lose sleep for the past few days.

"Do you like it here?"

Akatsuki looked up at him questioningly.

"As in, the way this world is going. I wonder if there will be an end to it?"

Shiroe said, more like to himself and he sighed. His shoulders sagged forward, his front hair shielded his eyes. Silently, Akatsuki left her cup on the table, stood up, and wrapped her arms around his neck. It was embarrassing that even though he was sitting down, Shiroe was still a little bit taller than her. She then decided to blame the stool.

"Akatsuki?"

"My lord, you don't have to shoulder everything on your own," Akatsuki explained and rested her head on his shoulder. "And you are still only human. We can't fix everything."

Hearing those words lifted some of his burdens of his chest. He had never realised how much he had pushed everyone around him and living in this disillusioned bubble that only he could make sense of everything that was happening. That it was his responsibility to figure it out.

Shiroe buried his face into her hair, breathing in her scent that always managed to calm him down. He hugged her back, his mind reminding him that he still had his guild members. He had friends who were more than willing to lend him a helping hand if he could just swallow his pride and ask.

More importantly, he had this beautiful Assassin who would faithfully follow him no matter how much he would push others away. She would always find a way and squeeze herself into the bubble he had built around himself.

He didn't know how long were they holding each other but when he came to, he figured it would be rather uncomfortable for Akatsuki. He was about to pull away when he realised that she had fallen asleep on his shoulder.

Shiroe smiled positioned the young woman comfortably in his arms - one arm holding her shoulder and another beneath her knee, her arms still around his neck - and carried her to her room, not forgetting the lantern she had brought into the kitchen earlier on.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Seriously, this was supposed to be a series of progression between the two which will eventually lead to something more solidly romantic but now I feel like I've lost the direction and it has turned into a series of fluffy one-shots. _

_Oh and reviews and a piece of your thought will be very much welcomed!_


	6. Intervention

_**A/N:** Aha, I am back! And I've actually written this a long time ago but it wasn't complete because I do not know how to end it. I still do not know if the current ending is okay but yeah._

_Hope you enjoy this chapter!_

_**Disclaimer:** Mamare-sensei owns it all._

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><p><strong>Natural Progression [6] <strong>

_- Intervention_

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><p>It was no secret to anyone who knew them that Akatsuki had a thing for Shiroe. A very <em>special<em> thing. But when it comes to the 'Black Heart Glasses', one must look even closer to determine whether the Assassin's feelings were one-sided or mutual.

He would not boast that he knew Shiroe well but after years of friendship both in-game and in the real life, Naotsugu was confident enough to know that the feelings are mutual. After all, he was, firstly, a guy, and also that he was by their side ever since the Apocalypse happened.

It was all just fun and games in the beginning. He would say something perverted before the Assassin would knee him in the face. She would then ask Shiroe for permission, in which he would shout that she should've asked before she kneed him.

Akatsuki never broke out of her ninja character, despite her class was actually an Assassin. Wherever Shiroe went, Akatsuki was always trailing behind in his shadow. Naotsugu thought it was cute and also reassuring, knowing that they have someone they could trust to watch their back in this foreign place.

Soon Naotsugu began to see subtle changes between the two. They would bicker, which was actually normal to him, but the amount of bickering from Shiroe's side was what caught his attention. He was more expressive when he was with her than when he was with anyone else. Even for Naotsugu, it took him quite a while for Shiroe to be comfortable around him.

Naotsugu also noticed the amount of concern Shiroe had for the Assassin and the look he gave her was much more gentle than usual. Their physical contact also began to occur more frequently. Like the way Shiroe would unconsciously hold her tight when they were on the griffon or the way she would hold onto his cloak.

The signs were all there and Naotsugu couldn't be more happier for the both of them but sometimes, it was also frustrating to see the lack of development between the two. Particularly on Shiroe's side. So one night, unable to bear with the tension anymore, Naotsugu barged into Shiroe's room with a bottle of sake he bought in the market earlier on.

"Naotsugu, what are you doing here?"

"Let's drink! It's been a while since I've had alcohol in my system," the guardian announced and forced a small cup into Shiroe's hand.

Resigned, Shiroe lifted his cup and allowed the Guardian to pour him some sake. Considering the amount of work he had to do this past month, it was nice to unwind a little.

"So, do you like the shortie?"

Shiroe nearly dropped his cup when he heard Naotsugu's question.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh don't play dumb. You like Akatsuki, don't you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Shiroe gulped down the sake, feeling his inside warm up by the alcohol. Naotsugu guffawed and emptied his own cup before refilling Shiroe's and his again.

"No need to be shy around nii-chan," he joked and Shiroe gave him a pointed look. "Nothing wrong with liking the shortie. She is about your age anyway. Unless, you don't swing that way?"

Shiroe threw a pillow into Naotsugu's face and the Guardian nearly dropped the bottle and the cup he had in his hands. As he tried to steady himself, Naotsugu could see the red tint on Shiroe's face despite the deadly aura he was exuding.

"If you have nothing better to say, leave."

"It was just a joke! No need to get all hung up."

Naotsugu made no indication of leaving and continued to pour himself sake. He offered the bottle to Shiroe, who took it begrudgingly and poured some of the clear liquid into his cup. They both drank in silence, both caught up in their own thoughts.

"But you know, it's not good to lead people on," Naotsugu voiced out his opinion. If indeed his observation was wrong, he felt sorry for Akatsuki.

"I'm not leading her on," Shiroe said, his face wore a tired mask. Naotsugu raised an eyebrow, surprised at how honest Shiroe was being. Could it be the sake is kicking in?

"I just…"

"Not used to women?"

Naotsugu supplemented. He knew that women in general is Shiroe's weakness. Shiroe nodded and took a sip of his sake.

"Besides, I don't see a point in pursuing a relationship. Not as things are right now."

Naotsugu crossed his arms behind his head and leaned backwards. Shiroe did have a point, as always. As real as everything seems now, the fact that this was a game and they had another life in Japan will always be in the back of their minds. And the more they tried to learn more about the People of the Land and the current world they live in, they more complicated things start to get.

"Well if that is your decision, then so be it. Just," Naotsugu paused, trying to think of a way to put his thoughts into words. "At least make it clear to her."

"Says the pervert."

"Shut up, you closet pervert."

Naotsugu downed his sake in one gulp, his smile widened when he saw the embarrassed look Shiroe had.

The next day, Naotsugu's 'intervention' paid off when he saw Shiroe kissed the top of Akatsuki's head before they left for training.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Reviews and prompts are very much welcomed! Thank you so so much for reading!_


	7. Flowers

_**A/N:** Hello guys, I am back! First of all, thank you all of you who has favourited and decided to follow this story! Also special thanks to **AllyraMortlock** for hounding me to continue this series of drabbles. I honestly lost my muse for this couple but I'm glad it is slowly coming back. Though I can't promise I will update frequently._

_Here's a new chapter for all of you ShiroAka fans out there! I know it hurts to have so little fics about them._

_**Disclaimer:** Mamare-sensei owns it all._

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><p><strong>Natural Progression [7]<strong>

_- Flowers_

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><p>There was an unfamiliar scent in the air, he noticed. It was not unpleasant but it was strange to him. He voiced out his thoughts to Nyanta and the cat-person just smiled.<p>

"Ahh, it must from the flowers Minori-chi brought in just now."

"Flowers?"

It then clicked in Shiroe's mind that the season had changed from winter to spring. He had barely noticed it since he was always holed up in his room and his mind was solely focused on research and keeping in touch with his informants in the other parts of the Yamato region.

'So it's finally spring,' he thought and left the issue of the flower at that.

That was a week ago.

Since then, vases of beautifully arranged flowers appeared around the guild house. There was one on the dining table, a mix of yellow and pink flowers whose names Shiroe could never remember. A small vase also appeared on the desk in his room; white flowers with wide green leaves.

Shiroe had never appreciated flowers back in the real world. Mostly because he had no purpose to ever have anything to do with it in the first place. Now, he was beginning to pay attention to such delicate plants. And thus, he was also curious about the person who had spent time arranging them.

"Me? Oh no! It's Akatsuki-san who did it! I just asked for her help and get the flowers for her."

Minori explained when Shiroe asked her about the flowers. He was surprised by the revelation. It never crossed his mind that the Assassin was into flower arrangement, though he should have suspected earlier since she purposely designed her room into a traditional Japanese-style room.

That next night he paid her a visit, knowing that Minori had brought in another batch of fresh flowers. He knocked twice on her door and slid it open when he heard her reply.

"Is there anything I can do for you, my lord?"

Kneeling in the middle of the room, surrounded by a few variety of freshly picked flowers, Akatsuki looked up at him, a long stalk of a white flower in her hand.

"I brought some tea," he explained simply and entered the room after closing the door. Akatsuki looked at him, her eyes searching the man who was now kneeling on her right. Shiroe never brought tea to anyone, ever.

"Is there something wrong, my lord?"

Noticing the edge in her voice, Shiroe immediately raised his hands in order to ward of the wariness she was feeling.

"No, nothing is wrong. Why do you think so?"

She tilted her head towards the tray he had brought in.

"It is not like you to bring tea to anyone."

Shiroe blanched at that statement as the petite girl returned her focus to the flowers in front of her.

"Well, there is always a first," he muttered and poured the tea into a cup. He could have sworn he saw the corner of her lips turned upward but by the time he passed the cup to her, it was gone.

Akatsuki received the tea with a small nod and took a sip before placing it down, her focus once again on the flowers. For a few minutes, none spoke a word. Shiroe contented himself with his tea and observed the Assassin carefully trimmed the flowers and arranged it in a little clay vase.

"You're rather good at this."

Akatsuki jumped slightly at his sudden comment and her hands faltered for a moment before she regained her composure.

"My grandmother was a strict woman who values tradition."

She supplemented quietly.

"That must be hard for you."

"Not really. I find myself enjoying it because it makes me forget."

Akatsuki immediately clamped her mouth shut when she realised what she had said. Slowly, the ghosts that had haunted her in real life came back. The jeers, the looks, the pressure.

"Akatsuki!"

A bespectacled face flooded her vision and chased away the demons. It was then that she realised that she had spaced out. Embarrassed by her lapse of attention, she turned her face away from Shiroe, not wanting to look a second longer into his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I am feeling well tonight. I better rest early."

"Akatsuki," Shiroe gently touched her shoulder. She knew what he was thinking. He wanted to know what happened.

"Another day, Shiroe. I will tell you but not today," her voice was quiet and she looked into his eyes for a moment before standing up. His hand slid down from her shoulder to her hand.

"Another day then."

He gently squeezed her hand. He bade her good night and excused himself out of her room, the tray and tea cups in his hand. It was only when he was in the solitude of his own room did he realized that for the first time since they met, she called him by his name.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Please do tell me what you think._


	8. Confession

_**A/N:** Oh look. An update! Please forgive any mistakes because I did not read through this after writing it. I probably will come back and edit it again, or I will just leave it as it is and suffer the wrath of my precious readers about how my grammar has fallen down the drain._

_Either than that, I hope you enjoy this chapter and a very early Merry Christmas to you!_

_**Disclaimer:** Mamare-sensei owns it all._

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><p><strong>Natural Progression [8]<strong>

-_ Confession_

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><p>"I love you."<p>

She stood her ground as she bared her heart and feelings out to the bespectacled man behind the desk. Shiroe looked up from the map he was looking at, his eyes widened with surprise.

"Akatsuki…"

Standing in the middle of his room, her eyes fixated on him and he knew very well the look of determination etched on her face. She has been his right-hand woman for the past decade there were stuck in the game. Shiroe had already known Akatsuki's feelings towards him and vice versa but none of them had ever said it out loud - much to the frustration of those around them. Shiroe righted his glasses.

"Why _now_, Akatsuki?"

He cringed inwardly at the bitterness in his words. It was a very crucial time at the moment and Shiroe had steeled himself to the task in hand but with Akatsuki's confession, he was beginning to waver. Akatsuki slowly walked towards him, stopping right in front of his desk and lightly traced the surface of the table.

"It's because of _now_ that I decide to tell you my feelings," Akatsuki's voice was barely a whisper and the first sign of anxiety broke her calm mask.

"No one has any idea what the World Fraction spell will do to us. Whether we will really return home safely. If we will retain our memories of this place. That's why, I don't want to have any regrets."

Shiroe clenched his fist. He knew Akatsuki's point was true. In fact, he was trying his hardest to not think about it. There were so many assumptions but so little answers. If he were to entertain all those questions, he will never be able to go through with the World Fraction spell.

"Shiroe."

He didn't realised Akatsuki had rounded the table and was now standing next to him, her hand gently laid on his clenched fist. He unclenched his fist and interlaced his fingers with hers, drawing her close. Burying his face in her hair, he took in her scent and felt Akatsuki running her other hand through his hair.

"I love you too," he whispered into her ear. "And I'm afraid."

"We all are. And this is not only your burden to bear," Akatsuki said.

She couldn't help but to think back of the past 10 years she had been in this place. So much has happened to her and though it was painful at that time, Akatsuki had learned to be more confident of herself. To stand on her own two feet and not hide behind Shiroe. To break out from her own insecurities. Now, she could barely remember how her life was like back in Japan. But she definitely did remember one thing.

"Akane."

"Hmm?"

Shiroe pulled away from her but kept her close.

"That's my real name. Akane."

Shiroe smiled. Despite knowing each other for so long, they had never shared much about their lives back in Japan.

"Nice to meet you, Akane. I'm Kei."

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Honestly, I actually intended this chapter to be the last and final chapter for this series but apparently it did not go according to plan. Lucky you._


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